Monkfish Liver Custard
Chewy Carrots, Squid Bolognese, Puffed Grains, Carrot Hot Sauce, Dried Chives
Chef Daniel Garwood of Acru | New York
Adapted by StarChefs | January 2025 | Photo: Alexander Zeren
INGREDIENTS
Carrot Hot Sauce:
100 grams canola oil
200 grams chopped Napa red cabbage kimchi
200 grams XO sauce
1 liter carrot juice
1 liter fermented carrot juice
300 grams butternut squash purée
150 grams roasted garlic purée
70 grams kelp vinegar
70 grams doenjang
Kosher salt
Carrots:
1 pound carrots, peeled
100 grams butter
Puffed Grains:
50 grams cooked barley
50 grams cooked quinoa
50 grams cooked rye berries
Oil for frying
Monkfish Liver Custard:
900 grams heavy cream
150 grams whole milk
300 grams egg yolk
270 grams cooked monkfish liver
24 grams kosher salt
23 grams granulated sugar
Squid Bolognese:
200 grams canola oil
100 grams chopped red chile
100 grams chopped Spanish onion
100 grams chopped ginger
100 grams chopped garlic
50 grams Sherry
300 grams brown chicken stock
200 grams thinly sliced squid
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
2 teaspoons dried chives
METHOD
For the Carrot Hot Sauce:
In a large sauté pan over medium-high flame, heat oil. Add kimchi and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until oil has darkened in color. Add XO sauce and cook an additional 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with carrot juices. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 20 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid and solids separately. Transfer reserved cooking liquids to a nonreactive container. Add butternut squash purée, garlic purée, kelp vinegar, and doenjang. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, purée mixture until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Refrigerate.
For the Carrots:
Heat a dehydrator to 145°F. Prepare and heat a grill to maximum heat. Place carrots on grill and cook until just softened. Transfer to a clean work surface, and using a melon baller, scoop out into rounds. Transfer carrots to a parchment-lined sheet tray and dehydrate until completely dried out. Let cool. In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook until lightly browned. Add dehydrated carrots and stir until carrots are evenly coated in butter. Cook until carrots have slightly rehydrated. Stir in 100 grams Carrot Hot Sauce. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.
For the Puffed Grains:
Heat a dehydrator to 145°F. Place grains on three separate sheet trays. Dehydrate 2½ hours. Let cool. In a deep fryer, heat oil to 380°F. Once oil is hot, add dehydrated barley and fry until puffed. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let drain. Repeat process with quinoa and rye berries. Once cooled, transfer grains to airtight containers and reserve.
For the Monkfish Liver Custard:
Heat a Vulcan combination oven to 200°F at full steam setting. In a pot over medium heat, bring cream and milk to 180°F. Transfer mixture to a Vitamix Commercial blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Strain mixture into a half-sized hotel pan. Steam 55 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Squid Bolognese:
In a large sauté pan over medium flame, heat oil. Add chile, onion, ginger, garlic, and 100 grams reserved Carrot Hot Sauce solids. Sauté 15 minutes. Deglaze pan with Sherry, then add 150 grams chicken stock and 150 grams Carrot Hot Sauce. Cook until mixture has reduced and oil begins to separate. Add remaining stock and additional 150 grams Carrot Hot Sauce. Cook until desired consistency is achieved. Add squid and sauté until cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a pot over low heat, warm Carrot Hot Sauce. In the middle of a serving bowl, place 1 tablespoon Monkfish Liver Custard. Top with dried chives, one teaspoon at each end of Monkfish Liver Custard. Place 1 teaspoon Puffed Grains, 1 teaspoon Carrots, and 1 teaspoon Squid Bolognese next to each pile of dried chives. Transfer Carrot Hot Sauce to a serving vessel of your choice. Tableside, pour warmed Carrot Hot Sauce over Monkfish Liver Custard until fully covered.
